JPH04231508A - Device and method for sticking road marking tape - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To stabilize the bonding of tapes and a road by rotatably supporting the rolls of the tapes by installing a plurality of supply mandrels, distributing the tapes from the rolls and mounting a mechanism storing the tapes in variable length and a tape application mechanism. CONSTITUTION: A frame mechanism for carrying a tape application mechanism 54, a storage mechanism 56 and supply mandrels 58 is set up to a car 22. Two tape strips are stuck onto a road surface 30, One tape strip is started as a roll rotatably supported onto the supply mandrel 72 in a plurality of mandrels 58 at that time, and a web from the roll travels on the first and second floating rollers. Tapes from the second floating roller travel on the lower side of a pre-load roller 108 through the storage mechanism 56 in a meandering passage from the second floating roller. Lastly, the tapes are passed on the lower sides of double wheels 34, and the wheels 3 firmly fix the tapes on the road surface 30, thus forming tape small pieces.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Compared to marking roads with paint, road marking tapes provide superior reflectivity, visibility and durability on streets and highways. However, despite their superior performance, road marking tapes are not always chosen to mark roadways in place of painting.

Regardless of the material cost difference between road marking tape and paint, one reason for not choosing tape is that it is not well suited for applying large quantities of tape to a road surface in a short period of time. This is because no such device currently exists.

Existing application devices are exemplified by the manual devices of Eckman, US Pat.
No. 64, No. 3,235,436 and No. 4,565
, 467. Eigenman
The device taught by N. N. is adapted to cut the tape into strips and subsequently apply the tape strips to the road surface.

0004

The present inventors have developed a road affixing device previously disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,958 and herein incorporated by reference. This equipment is a trailer-type unit. One disadvantage of trailer units is that it takes a relatively long time to align and position the unit to accurately apply short lengths of tape. For this reason, manual pasting devices have often been used in such cases. This tape application process, which involves trailer-type equipment, also involves 3
It requires a pair of people, with one person driving the towing vehicle and the other driving the trailing vehicle. The third person in the group typically rides in the tow vehicle and returns repeatedly to the trailer to refill the equipment. This requires stopping the equipment to provide a new roll of tape and splice the tape after each roll of road marking tape has been applied.

Another problem that arises with currently used tape application equipment is that it is difficult to obtain a stable bond between the tape and the road.

Although rollers have been used to further press the tape against the road, this method generally relies on the tires of the vehicle as part of the application process. However, a vehicle that suddenly stops, starts moving or reversing on a newly applied tape may displace or twist the tape until a stable adhesion is achieved.

The usual solution to this problem has been to provide a trailing wheel to drive on the tape. The driver of this following vehicle (i.e., the second person) is instructed to drive the left front wheel of the following vehicle gently over the tape and avoid sudden movements on the tape. In practice, the driver of the following vehicle will not be able to accomplish this assigned task and will have to spend money to replace the weakly fixed part of the tape after a very short service life.

[0008] There is a strong need for an applicator that eliminates the need to rely on a follow-up vehicle by a dedicated, experienced team to achieve a stable application and/or allows for faster overall applicator speeds. .

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention includes an apparatus for applying road marking tape to a road surface. The apparatus of the present invention includes a self-propelled steerable vehicle having rear wheels and equipment attached to the vehicle. The attached device includes a plurality of supply mandrels (1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, or or, in part in ink in incense) in Rotatably supporting a roll of tape and For dispensing tape from the roll
a main shaft), a mechanism for accumulating a variable length tape dispensed from one of these mandrels, and a tape arrangement disposed on or proximate the road surface located in front of the rear wheels of the vehicle. It includes a mechanism. The device is preferably mounted inside the truck.

The invention further includes a method of continuously applying road marking tape to a road surface. The method includes the steps of: providing a forward-moving self-propelled vehicle with an applicator having a tape placement head located in front of the rear wheels of the vehicle; placing the tape on a road surface; and placing the placed tape behind the vehicle. and a step of tamping with a ring. The method preferably includes the steps of mounting a roll of tape on a mandrel of an applicator, passing the tape from the roll through an applicator head having an accumulation mechanism and a clamping section, and passing the tape through the clamping section. and disposing the road surface through the road surface.

The forward motion of the vehicle results in the rear wheels driving over the tape and tamping the tape into the road to ensure and complete the sticking action. Preferably the applicator includes a second mandrel to which a second tape roll is attached. The preferred method is to provide for splicing the tape while a second tape roll is installed and applying the tape of the first roll, so that the second tape is not attached to the first roll of tape.
It only requires a momentary delay of the vehicle to connect to the tape.

The apparatus and method of the present invention further allows for the application of road marking tape in pairs, since the need for a following vehicle and a dedicated driver for the following vehicle is eliminated. The apparatus and method of the present invention are suitable for applying tape around sharp turns, and the apparatus of the present invention is more maneuverable than existing trailer-type apparatus.

[0013]

EXAMPLE A preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is shown at 20 in FIG.
is shown. The device 20 includes a self-propelled steerable vehicle 22. Device 20 further includes device 24 carried by vehicle 22 . Vehicle 22 and device 24 together form device 20, which is relatively easy to maneuver and useful for applying road marking tapes 74 and 117 to road surface 30. tape 74 and 1
17 as a continuous strip 26 or as a road surface 30
It is applied as a discontinuous strip with each section separated from the next by the upper untaped section 32.

Preferably, the vehicle 22 has dual rear wheels, suitably stiffened springs to handle the weight of the device 24, a tape roll loading section, and a two man operating team (ie, a vehicle operator). and an equipment operator). In FIG. 1, the outer double left rear wheel 34 and the inner left double wheel 36 are shown in dotted lines. road 30
The upper tapes 26 and 28 are applied along the path along which the dual rear wheels 34 and 36 travel.

From within the driver's seat 38, the driver or operator operating the vehicle 22 can see through a guide device 42 mounted on the front bumper 44 of the vehicle 22 to track the path followed by the rear dual wheels 34 and 36. can be predicted effectively. The guide device 42 includes a combination of a semi-silvered mirror and a lamp for projecting an illuminated mark at a point 40 on the road surface 30. Point 40 lies approximately on the path followed by rear dual wheels 34 and 36. A preferred guide device 42 is a Model 2406 collimator available from M-B Company of Wisconsin.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 22 also preferably has a warning light 46 mounted on the driver's seat 38 to warn of approaching vehicles and a warning light 46 mounted on the vehicle 22 to warn of overtaking vehicles approaching from behind. Warning plate 4 attached to the rear of
8. The vehicle touches the road surface 30 with its rear wheels 34.
, although other embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention may use front wheel drive vehicles. Device 24 is generally enclosed within a rear compartment 52 of vehicle 22.

Device 24 includes a tape placement mechanism 54 . The tape placement mechanism 54 is located in front of the rear left dual wheel 34 in close proximity to the road surface 30 and is generally located in front of the left front steering wheel 5.
It is placed at a position following 0. Since the tape placement mechanism is located in front of the rear wheels 34 and 36 on the same vehicle 22, it is virtually guaranteed that the tapes 26 and 28 will achieve positive adhesion to the road surface 30 through the forward movement of the vehicle 22. be done.

Apparatus 24 further includes a storage mechanism 56 capable of storing tapes of variable length and for subsequent release to tape placement mechanism 54. Apparatus 24 also includes a plurality of supply mandrels 58, shown in phantom, adapted to dispense tape from rolls of tape to storage mechanism 56. These mandrels 58 are shown in their entirety in the figure, but in the following description they are designated separately 72, 110, 114 and 1.
16.

The tape placement mechanism 54 is connected to the vehicle 2 of the device 20.
2, typically lifted for high speed driving at major road traffic speeds. The rear compartment 52 of the vehicle has a device 24
It includes a large opening 60 for access for maintenance. This opening 60 is covered by a panel (not shown) made of canvas plastic or metal to protect the device 24 and any tape supplies that may be traveling at high speeds or exposed to severe weather.

As shown in FIG. 3, apparatus 24 includes a frame mechanism 57 for carrying a tape placement mechanism 54, a storage mechanism 56, and a supply mandrel 58. The frame mechanism 57 is attached to the vehicle 22 and connects the device 24 to the vehicle 22.
to free the vehicle 22 and make it easier to use it for other purposes. Optionally, frame mechanism 57 can be an integral, non-removable part of vehicle 22.

The device 24 is capable of applying two tape strips 26 and 28 to the road surface 30. The mechanism for a single tape, specifically the left tape 26, will first be described below.

This leftmost tape strip 26 begins as a roll 70 rotatably supported on a supply mandrel 72 of a plurality of mandrels 58 . roll 7
The web 74 from 0 runs over a first idler roller 76 located generally above the plurality of supply mandrels 58 and then advances to a second idler roller 78 located generally above the accumulation mechanism 56 . From the second idler roller 78, the tape travels generally downwardly through the storage mechanism 56 in a serpentine path. The portion of the storage mechanism 56 that responds to the tape web 74 is connected to the stationary arm 8.
0 and a rotatable arm 82. Pivotable arm 82 is rotatably supported at its upper end by a pivot 84 that is laterally supported by frame mechanism 57 . The rotatable arm 82 swings back and forth about a pivot 84 by about 60 degrees relative to the stationary arm 80, and the stationary arm 80 is also supported at its upper end by the pivot 84.

The stationary arm 80 has four spaced apart accumulator rollers, an upper or first roller 86 (pivot 84
), the second roller 88, and the third roller 90
and a lower or fourth roller 92 . Pivotable arm 82 has three spaced apart accumulator rollers, namely an upper or first roller 94 (proximal to pivot 84).
, an intermediate or second roller 96, and a lower or third roller 98 (proximate the lower end of pivot arm 82).

Tape web 74 passes downwardly through accumulator mechanism 56 from second idler roller 78 to the upper roller of stationary arm 80, then to upper accumulator roller 94 of rotatable arm 82, and then to the second accumulator roller 88 of the stationary arm 80, then to the intermediate accumulator roller 96 of the rotatable arm 82, and then to the third accumulator roller 9 of the stationary arm 80.
0, then to the third lowermost accumulator arm 98 of the rotatable arm 82 and then to the lowermost accumulator roller 92 of the stationary arm 80.

Fourth accumulator roller 92 of stationary arm 80
The tape web 74 is inserted into the rear compartment 5 at a position generally below the pivot arm 82 for release to the tape placement mechanism 54.
2 (as shown in Figure 5)
It runs on the idle roller 100 of.

From the third idler roller 100, the tape web 74 is transferred to the fourth idler roller 1 on the tape placement mechanism 54.
Proceed to 02. The tape 74 is then moved to a holding roller 104
It is passed through the upper side and the lower side of the engagement roller 106. The engagement roller 106 forms a clamping pressure portion 107 with the road surface 30 and is positioned to press the adhesive side of the tape 74 against the road surface 30. Next, the tape 74 is attached to the preload roller 10
8. Drive under the 8. Finally, the tape 74 passes under the left-most double wheel 34, which wheel 34
4 is firmly fixed to the road surface 30 so that the tape strip 2
form 6.

The second mandrel 110 is the mandrel 7
2 and mounted on the device 24 directly behind it. The second mandrel 110 carries a reserve roll 112 of tape that dispenses the tape over the first idler roller 76.

The apparatus 24 of the preferred embodiment 20 also includes a second mechanism for applying the right side tape strip 28. The first (left) feature substantially corresponds to the second (right) feature located immediately to the right of the first feature. Mandrels 114 and 116 of this second mechanism
are each capable of carrying a roll of tape and, with substantially the same ease, dispense or feed the tape 117 over the first idler roller 118 and then over the second idler roller 120 to the accumulator. It feeds into the mechanism 56 and continues to feed into the tape placement mechanism 54 for securing by the inner dual rear wheels 36 (shown in FIG. 1). The second accumulator mechanism also includes four spaced apart accumulator rollers, namely the upper or first roller 124.
, a second roller 126 , a third roller 128 , and a lower or fourth roller 130 .
2 and a second pivotable arm 132 having three accumulator rollers: an upper or first roller 134 , an intermediate or second roller 136 , and a lower or third roller 138 . The tape is threaded and runs in this second mechanism in substantially the same manner as in the first mechanism.

The rotatable accumulator arm 82 or 132 of accumulator 56 is rotated 60 relative to the stationary arm 80 or 122.
When the maximum angle of 5° is achieved, the maximum length of the serpentine path is approximately 8 feet 5 inches (257°) in one embodiment.
A meandering path with a length of cm) is obtained. In addition, when the pivotable accumulator arm 82 or 132 is at a 0° angle with respect to the stationary accumulator arm 80 or 122, the minimum length of the serpentine path is approximately 30 inches (76 cm) in one embodiment. A meandering path is obtained. The change in path length provided by the accumulator mechanism 56 is determined by the amount of tape placement.
(i.e., a placement speed corresponding to the forward speed of the vehicle 22 along the road surface 30) and the amount of tape 74 dispensed from a roll (such as roll 70 on mandrel 72). Make it. Such temporal differences occur between two different operations of device 24.

First, the tape placement is such that the vehicle 22 is traveling from approximately 5 to 10 miles per hour (8 to 16 km per hour).
) begins during forward motion at a speed of . It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to instantaneously accelerate roll 70 from not rotating to full rotation speed to match ground speed. Without the accumulation mechanism 56, this initially placed tape would not tightly engage the road surface 30, or the web would break somewhere from sudden excess tension. This accumulator mechanism 56 accommodates the beginning of tape placement by quickly decreasing the serpentine path length, thereby quickly releasing the tape 74 and allowing the tape roll 70 to begin gradually rotating and dispensing the tape 74. It can be so.

Next, when the tape arrangement is completed, the tape 74
The leading edge of the tape 74 must stop abruptly while the rapidly rotating roll 70 continues its rotation to remove excess tape 74.
try to distribute.

Accumulator mechanism 56 accommodates the end of tape placement by rapidly increasing the length of the serpentine path, thereby quickly accepting the dispensation of tape from tape roll 70 and allowing roll 70 to gradually stop. do it like this.

By using two mandrels for each application mechanism, an operator working inside the rear compartment 52 can load and prepare one mandrel while tape material is dispensed from the other mandrel. I can do it. An experienced operator's ability to pack and prepare tape rolls and splice the tape while the vehicle 22 is in motion reduces the tape application delay between these rolls by about 40 seconds (with existing mechanisms). (typical) to approximately 5 seconds or less.

Accumulator mechanism 56 includes rotatable arms 82 and 1.
It has a controlled biasing force of 32 mm to allow for an increase or decrease in serpentine path length. As mentioned above, since the two tape mechanisms are substantially identical, detailed operation will only be described for the outermost mechanism.

The rotatable arm 82 shown in FIG. 4 is attached at its upper rear edge to a helical tension spring 150 via a cable 152 and a pulley 154. Tension spring 150 is attached to frame mechanism 57 at its opposite end. Preferably, spring 150 and cable 152 are adjustable in length and therefore tension. Spring 150 and cable 1
52 biases and urges the pivotable arm 82 to its maximum angular position relative to the stationary arm 80. As already explained, this position corresponds to the maximum meandering path length.

A double acting pneumatic piston 156 is also attached to the pivotable arm 82 at a first end and to the frame mechanism 57 at a second end. Contraction of piston 156 forces pivotable arm 82 toward stationary arm 80;
This reduces the tortuous path length. piston 156
The extension of causes the pivotable arm 82 to move away from the stationary arm 80, thereby increasing the serpentine path length.

Piston 156 is actuated to extend or retract by fluid connection to a source of pneumatic pressure. A schematic diagram of the pneumatic control device for the left tape 74 is shown in FIG. The right side tape 117 is controlled by substantially the same pneumatic control system as the left side tape 74. In detail, the compressed gas cylinder 250
The pressure regulator 252 is connected to the pressure regulator 252 . Preferably, compressed gas cylinder 250 contains nitrogen gas. However, other non-toxic gases or gas mixtures such as air may be used. Alternatively, an air compressor can be used. The first regulator 252 uses high pressure nitrogen [approximately 2500 lbs.
square inch (17.2 MPa)] to about 10
The working pressure is reduced to 0 pounds per square inch (690 kPa). This working gas pressure is connected to distribution block 254. Preferably, the pressure cylinder 250, the first
The regulator 252 and the distribution block 254 are occupied by a pneumatic control device for the mechanism of the second tape 117 .

From the distribution block 254, the working gas pressure is, for example, approximately 50 pounds per square inch (345 kPa).
pressure to the first port 2 of the four-way solenoid valve 260
58 to a second adjustable regulator 256 . Second port 26 of four-way solenoid valve 260
2 is connected to the upper port 264 of the piston 156 . Pneumatic piston 156 upper port 264
The application causes piston 156 to elongate thereby increasing the serpentine path length of tape 74.

Four-way solenoid valve third port 266
is connected to a third adjustable pressure regulator 268 which is connected to the lower port 270 of piston 156. Applying air pressure to lower port 270 causes piston 156 to retract, thereby reducing the serpentine path length. The remaining fourth port 272 of the four-way solenoid valve 260 acts as an outlet. A second pressure regulator 256 operates to reduce the pressure of the compressed gas to pressure P1, which is the pressure applied to the upper (extension actuation) port 264 of the piston 156. Third
A pressure regulator 268 adjusts the pressure of the compressed gas to the lower (retraction actuated) port 27 equal to or less than P1.
0, potentially further reducing the pressure P2 supplied to P2. Typical pressure P2 is e.g. about 140-210
kPa.

The two functions of the four-way solenoid valve 260 are as follows. That is, as the first effect,
The four-way solenoid valve 260 connects the upper (extension-actuated) port 264 of the piston 156 to compressed gas at pressure P1 and simultaneously connects the lower (retraction-actuated) port 270 of the piston 156 to the exhaust port 272 of the four-way solenoid valve 260. (and thereby release any contraction pressure). As a second function, the four-way solenoid valve 260 connects the lower (retraction actuated) port 270 of the piston 156 to compressed gas at pressure P2 and simultaneously connects the upper (extension actuated) port 270 of the piston 156 to the compressed gas at pressure P2.
64 to the discharge port 27 of the four-way solenoid valve 260
0 (and thereby relieve any extension pressure). A preferred valve is the one in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
J. E. Skinner available from the Braas company
V935 LEH2100 12V. D. C. It is a solenoid pilot valve like.

In summary, double acting piston 156 provides low force contraction and relatively high force extension. The selection of extension or retraction is made by solenoid valve 260. Preferably, the second pressure regulator 256 is connected to the piston 15
6 is adjusted to obtain compressed gas at a relatively high pressure P1. The extension of piston 156, in conjunction with the force provided by tension spring 150, acts to strongly drive pivotable arm 82 away from stationary arm 80. On the other hand, the piston 156
The contraction of spring 150 acts against or approximately balances the opposing force provided by spring 150. Preferably, the third regulator 268 is adjusted to provide compressed gas (at a relatively low pressure P2) to closely balance the force of the spring 150.

The ability to separately adjust the two pressures P1 and P2 supplied to piston 156 allows the operator to
The device 24 is adjusted and precisely synchronized to substantially avoid stretching or tearing of the tape 74 during the beginning of the application and to avoid any excess tape 74 being dispensed at the end of the application.
can also be accumulated. Furthermore, two pressures P1
The ability to separately adjust P2 and P2 allows the operator to
4 can be adapted to many types of road marking tapes and application conditions.

The solenoid valve is controlled by a timing mechanism previously disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,030,958, which is incorporated herein by reference. This timing mechanism detects the travel of the device 20 along the road surface 30 via optical sensing of the rotation of the prepress roller 108 . A suitable digitizer is 62AAEF-0200-A-0-00 available from Dynapar Company of Gurnee, Illinois.
It is a mold-like Rotopulser brand digitizer.

As shown in FIG. 6, the mandrels 72, 11
0 and 114 have pneumatically operated disc brakes 1
58, 160 and 162 are provided, respectively. A similar arrangement of mandrels 116 is not shown. Mandrels 72, 110, 114 and 116 each have three radially spaced teeth (not shown) (
(which acts to grip the cardboard hub of each tape roll) and a removable quick release cap for securing the tape roll to the mandrel and transmitting any braking force to the roll.

As shown in FIG. 8, a cam 170 projects upwardly from the pivotable accumulator arm 82. This cam 170 acts on a cam follower 171 on a piston 172 of a variable pressure pneumatic regulator 174 . A variable pressure pneumatic regulator 174 controls the air pressure to the disc brake 15 which controls the rotation of the supply mandrels 72 and 110.
8 and 160. In particular, gas from distribution block 254 of FIG.
sent to. 0 to 100 pounds per square inch (690
The output gas at variable pressure (kPa) is then sent to both disc brakes 158 and 160. Together, cam 170
and variable pressure regulator 174 such that the angle between pivotable arm 82 and stationary arm 80 is preferably from about 0° to about 1°.
When the air pressure is 5°, the disc brake 158 and 1
60 is not supplied at all, and mandrels 72 and 110
It acts so that it can rotate freely. A preferred variable pressure regulator 174 is F05118016 Mode Com available from Schrader Bellows Company.
mand Air brand pneumatic valve. This particular valve provides high pressure when piston 172 is in the retracted position and no pressure when piston 172 is extended.

From an angle between the rotatable arm 82 and the stationary arm 80, preferably from about 15° to about 45°, the air pressure to the disc brakes 158 and 160 of the mandrels 72 and 110 is gradually increased and Rotation of mandrels 72 and 110 is gradually inhibited. From an angle between pivotable arm 82 and stationary arm 80, preferably from about 45° to about 60°, maximum braking pressure is applied to disc brakes 158 and 160 to prevent or substantially prevent rotation of mandrels 72 and 110. to prevent it.

In this way, the tape rolls 70 and 11
2 over-rotation is gradually suppressed as accumulator mechanism 56 reaches a maximum amount of serpentine path length. Conversely, tape rolls 70 and 112 are completely free to rotate, thereby distributing the tape to tape placement mechanism 54 as the accumulator path shortens and tape starvation approaches.
to release.

Tape placement mechanism 54 is connected to frame mechanism 57 at pivot point 190, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9. Hydraulic ram 192 lifts placement mechanism 54 off the ground. For high speed traffic, a chain support (not shown) is used to support the tape placement mechanism 54, thereby taking the load off the hydraulic ram 192 and eliminating the possibility of damage.

The constant contact of the pre-pressing roller 108 is
This rotation of the pre-pressure roller 108 is essential to the application process as it provides the timing mechanism controlling the various solenoids of the device 24 with a sense of the distance traveled over the road surface 30. Furthermore, the engagement roller 106 is parallel to the pre-pressure roller 108 and may not be able to form a satisfactory clamping pressure with the road surface 30. To ensure good contact of the prepress roller 108 against the road surface 30 during tape application, the tape placement mechanism 54 has limited rotation about two separate axes. its first axis coincides with pivot point 190;
Allowing rotational movement about the anterior transverse axis 190. Effectively, a limited up and down movement is obtained.

The second axis is the pivot 1 between the front carriage 193 and the rear carriage 195 as shown in FIG.
91 is the longitudinal axis at 91. In particular, the front carriage 193 has a pivot (for example, a bolt) 191 that projects longitudinally rearward from its lower rear edge into a pivot hole in the lower front edge of the rear carriage 195 . Furthermore, the front carriage 193 also includes holes for four guide bolts 194 that project longitudinally rearward. The rear carriage 195 has four arcuate grooves 196 for receiving guide bolts 194. The special curved shape of this arcuate groove 196 is circumferential around the pivot axis 191. Together, the longitudinal pivot 191 and the arcuate groove 196 allow the rear carriage 195 to have limited rotation in both directions from the horizontal plane of approximately ±4°.

The tape cutter 200 is connected to the engagement roller 106.
and a blade 202 having a common axis of rotation. Helical tension spring 20, as shown in FIG.
5 typically connects the tape cutter 200 to a metal post 204 rigidly mounted on the rear carriage 195.
hold.

FIG. 10 shows the position of the tape placement mechanism 54 immediately before the start of tape application. Retainer roller 10
4 and engagement roller 106 are carried on frame 206 . The frame 206 also has a rear carriage 195
is carried by the axle of a pre-press roller 108 mounted on the. The frame 206 further includes a lever 210
The rear leg 208 is connected to the rear leg 208 by a pivot 212 . The lever 210 is also connected to the rear carriage 195 by a pivot 214 . A double-acting pneumatic piston 216 connected between rear carriage 195 and lever 210 raises leg 208 (in the retracted state) to pivot frame 206 upwardly about the axle of prepress roller 108 . The upward rotation of frame 206 forces retainer roller 104 toward stop member 218 , thereby capturing tape 74 . Preferably, the stopper member 218 is made of hard rubber and is attached to the underside of the rear carriage 195.

During the start of tape application, the piston 216
is actuated via the four-way solenoid valve 280 of FIG.
so that it moves downward. Specifically, this valve operates to provide two modes of connection. First, the valve connects the retraction port 282 of the piston 216 to the regulator 278.
to a source of compressed gas and at the same time piston 216.
Connects the extension port 284 of the four-way valve 280 to the exhaust port 286 of the four-way valve 280. Second, valve 280 connects extension port 284 of piston 216 to regulator 278.
from the piston 216 to a source of pressurized gas and at the same time
the deflation port 282 of the valve 280 and the exhaust port 286 of the valve 280
Connect to. Preferably, the gas supply pressure to valve 280 is adjusted by pressure regulator 278 to a pressure of about 40 to about 85 pounds per square inch (280-590 kPa). Higher pressure is used for tapes 74 that are more difficult to cut.

The pneumatic piston 216 is connected to the lever 210
to any one of the three mounting holes 213 drilled through to allow faster or slower cutter speeds depending on the type of tape to be applied.

When piston 216 is actuated to extend, frame 206 moves quickly and forcefully from the position shown in FIG. 10 to the position shown in FIG.
4 is pressed into engagement with the road surface 30 at the clamping portion 107 . After the tape 74 is applied to the road surface 30, the tape is first pressed down preliminarily by rollers 108 and then pressed or tamped by the rear wheels of the vehicle 22 to further secure the tape to the road surface. do.

After the desired length of strip 26 of tape 74 has been applied to the road surface, solenoid valve 280 is actuated to provide pressure to retract pneumatic piston 216.
Thereby, the frame 206 is rotated and lifted to the position shown in FIG.

During the upward movement of the frame 206, the rear side of the cutter 200 contacts the post 204 which rotates the cutter 200. The strut 204 is initially connected to the cutter 200
The contact between the post 204 and the cutter 200 2 moves progressively closer to the pivot axis. frame 206
Because the movement is rapid and powerful, the cutter 200 gradually accelerates, gains momentum, and continues to rotate about the axis when the retainer roller 104 presses the tape 74 against the hard rubber stop 218. This movement continues until the cutting blade 202 (preferably a serrated cutting blade) contacts and cuts the web of tape 74 extending between the road surface 30 and the engagement roller 106. Tape 74 is held under tension between engagement roller 106 and preliminary pressure roller 108 during the tape cutting operation. In a preferred embodiment, the hard rubber stopper 218 is attached to the rear carriage 195.
It acts as a shock absorber and cushions the impact of the engagement roller 106 and the retainer roller 104.

To ensure that the end of the tape 74 passes under the engagement roller 106 and enters the clamping area during the initiation of tape application between applications, the tape placement mechanism 54 further includes a copper plate. A tube 220 is provided. This tube 220 has a first end connected to the pneumatic piston 216.
and is arranged such that the second end 222 is directed toward the engagement roller 106. Copper tube 220 applies suitably timed undulations of pressurized gas from tube end 222 to the end of tape 74 to direct the end of tape 74 to pinch pressure section 107 that is being formed. The useful pneumatic surge of compressed gas provided to tube 220 is from the exit of pneumatic piston 216 to the ground-engaging position where tape 74 is placed, which coincides with the lowering of frame 206. The undulations of the compressed gas act to move the end of the tape 74 under the engagement roller 106 just before the formation of the clamping pressure portion 107, so that the tape 74 is effectively positioned to engage the wheel 34 and subsequently 34. This undulation is effectively brought about in accordance with the application sequence at the appropriate time and is a secondary use of the compressed gas that previously raised the frame 206.

As described above, prior to the start of applying the tape 74, the accumulator rotatable arm 82 is moved to the stationary arm 8.
0 to form an angle of approximately 60°. Pivotable arm 82 is partially held in this extended position by tension spring 150, as shown in FIG. Additional force is applied to urge the pivotable arm 82 into this position by the piston 156.

As previously explained, the piston 156
is a two-way piston, ie, the piston 156 can be retracted or expanded by applying pressure to either port of its cylinder, thereby actuating it to push or pull. At the beginning of taping, the retraction port 270 of the piston 156 receives air pressure P2 from the third regulator 268. Application of air pressure to retract piston 156 slightly relieves or unbalances the tension from spring 150 on accumulator pivot arm 82.

Preferably, the force balance is such that accumulator pivotable arm 82 is rotated from an extended (60°) position toward stationary arm 80 to release tape 74 for application. There is. Balance and relief of pressure on the pivotable arm 82 facilitates movement of the tape when the engagement roller 106 is then pushed toward the road surface 30 to form the clamping pressure 107 . This also causes tape 74 to engage road surface 30. This engagement of tape 74 with road surface 30 results in a tensile force being applied to tape 74 abruptly and forcefully.

As the tape application continues, the accumulator rotation is caused by the combination of the forces being applied to the tape as it is pulled toward the road surface 30 and the inertia in the mandrel 72 and tape roll 70. The movable arm 82 is directed towards the stationary arm 80 (i.e. towards 0
degree), thereby shortening the length of the tortuous path. As the application of the tape continues, the tensile force gradually increases on the tape roll 70 so that the roll begins to rotate rapidly distributing the tape 74 through the accumulator 56 and onto the road surface 30.

At the end of tape placement, tape 74 is captured and cut at tape placement mechanism 74. Air pressure on double acting piston 156 is reversed (ie, compressed gas is applied at port 264) to force pivotable arm 82 away from stationary arm 80. As the rotatable arm 82 swings rearward, the length of the serpentine path increases, and the cam 170 moves toward the disc brake 158.
and 160 to stop the rotation of the mandrel 72, and the tape 74 is slowed down and stopped.

A variety of road marking tapes are available and can be applied using the method and apparatus of the present invention. In a preferred method, the tape 74 carries a pressure sensitive adhesive or the adhesive is preapplied to the roadway by other means so that the tape 74 adheres to the road surface 30. When tape 74 carries a pressure sensitive adhesive on one side, the rollers of the device that contact the adhesive side of tape 74 are preferably scored to reduce adhesion of tape 74 to these rollers. . For details,
For adhesive tape wound with the adhesive side facing the center of the roll 72, the rollers 76, 78, 94, 96, 98,
100, and 104 should be notched. The roller that contacts the top side of the tape 74 (ie, the side that will face upward when applied to the road) should preferably have a smooth surface.

Another feature of the invention is that the device 20 can store large rolls of tape to be applied to the road surface 30. The above double mandrel mechanism 58
By using a new roll of tape, a new roll of tape is placed on the second mandrel 11 while the first roll 70 is dispensed from the first mandrel 72 and applied to the road surface 30.
It can be packed to 0. first roll of tape 7
Just before the zero is unwound, the operator can prepare the leading edge of the second tape roll to join the trailing edge of the first tape.

[0066] This tethering action can take place in a short time of 5 seconds or less. After the ends of the tape have been interconnected (eg, preferably by double-sided adhesive tape of nylon web), advancement of the apparatus 20 is resumed and the tape 74 is dispensed from the second mandrel 110. The operator can then replace the empty reel of first mandrel 72 with a full roll of tape. This tape changing and splicing step is repeated until the tape supply within device 22 is exhausted or until the tape application operation is complete.

Because the present invention is a single vehicle (preferably enclosed) rather than a trailer, it can provide security for the taping operation. In particular, the apparatus 20 eliminates the need for one member of the group to walk back on the road to the trailer for each roll change. In other words, the entire tape applicator 24 is housed inside the enclosed vehicle 22, thereby allowing the operator to perform all of the above steps without leaving the vehicle, thereby avoiding potentially hazardous vehicle installation. It is an advantageous safety feature of the invention that exposure to traffic is avoided.

Now that the preferred embodiments of this invention have been fully described, many modifications and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings provided herein and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from this invention. Modifications and equivalents are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. The invention is not unduly limited by the above description.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, partially cut away and partially shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial side view, with some parts omitted, showing a tape placement mechanism and tape storage means.

FIG. 4 is a more detailed side view with some parts omitted.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a detailed end view of the pivot portion showing the pivotable accumulator arm, cam actuated valve and air cylinder, looking towards the rear of the device;

FIG. 9 is a detailed left side view of the tape placement mechanism with the raised position shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 10 is a left side view of the tape placement mechanism during tape cutting.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a rotation axis of the tape placement mechanism of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the air control mechanism for the left tape.

[Explanation of symbols]

20... Tape pasting device 22...Vehicle 24...device 26...Tape 28...Tape 30...road 34...Rear wheel 36...Rear wheel 54...Tape placement mechanism 56...Tape storage mechanism 58...Mandrel 70...Tape roll

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for applying road marking tape to a road surface, comprising: a self-propelled steerable vehicle having rear wheels; a first apparatus carried by the vehicle; a plurality of supply mandrels mounted on the first apparatus and rotatably supporting rolls of tape; means for accumulating a variable length of tape from one of the plurality of mandrels; A road marking tape application device comprising: a tape placement mechanism located in front of a rear wheel and disposed proximate to a road surface. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for releasing the variable length tape from the storage means. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mandrels is provided with a brake for controlling rotation of the mandrels. [Claim 4] The brake is a disc brake,
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the disc brakes are controlled by a cam-driven variable pressure regulator whose output depends on the length of the tape in the storage means. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tape placement mechanism includes guide rollers forming a clamping pressure with the road surface. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the tape placement mechanism further includes air blowing means for forcing the free end of the tape into the clamping pressure. 7. A tape placement mechanism is movable about a first generally longitudinally disposed axis and a second laterally disposed axis to enable the guide roller to pass through the road surface. 6. The device according to claim 5. 8. An accumulation mechanism comprising: a set of guides defining a variable length path for the tape; a first accumulator roller mounted on a first guide of the set; a second accumulator roller mounted on a second guide thereof, spaced apart from and movable with respect to the first accumulator roller, so as to define at least a portion of the variable length passageway; and means for moving said second guide to change the length of the passage defined by said guide. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for moving the guide is a pneumatic piston. 10. A method for attaching a road marking tape to a road surface, comprising wheels for supporting a vehicle on the road surface, the tape being located in front of the wheels and close to a part of the road surface. providing a self-propelled vehicle carrying a first device having a tape placement mechanism; placing a tape on a road surface; and tamping the placed tape with wheels of the vehicle. A road marking tape pasting method comprising: